Investigation Summary
The flight was operating a scheduled service from Brussels to London under the command of pilot Henri Goblet. Upon arrival at Heathrow, the airport was shrouded in dense fog, with visibility estimated between 200 and 400 meters. The crew attempted a Ground Controlled Approach (GCA). According to the investigation, the aircraft likely touched down normally but then bounced, causing the nose to pitch up. The pilot failed to push the controls forward or increase engine power to stabilize the aircraft. Disoriented by the high-intensity sodium lights and his own landing lights reflecting off the fog—creating what was described as a 'white, opaque wall'—the pilot lost control. The aircraft stalled and crashed approximately 160 meters from the runway centerline, breaking apart and bursting into flames. Hangar workers witnessed the crash and rushed to the scene, managing to pull a few survivors from the wreckage before the fire became too intense. The disaster led to immediate changes in British civil aviation regulations regarding landing procedures in low visibility.
Final Conclusions
The accident was attributed to pilot error during a landing attempt in conditions of very low visibility. The investigation concluded that the aircraft likely bounced upon touchdown; the pilot's failure to correct this bounce, combined with spatial disorientation caused by the interaction of landing lights and thick fog, led to a stall and subsequent crash off the runway centerline. While the impact was survivable for many on board, the majority of the fatalities were caused by the rapid onset of the post-crash fire.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Pilot
Henri Goblet
Systems & Failure Modes
Ground-Controlled Approach (GCA)
A radar-based landing system where ground controllers provide verbal instructions to the pilot. The accident led to new restrictions on using GCA in low visibility.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft, registration OO-AWH, was the last Douglas DC-3 ever built.
- 02Two airport workers, Harold Bending and Angus Brown, were awarded the George Medal for their rescue efforts.
- 03The crash resulted in 20 fatalities out of 22 people on board.
- 04The aircraft was only one year old, having been built in 1947.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Visibility Minimums for GCA
The UK Ministry of Civil Aviation stipulated that ground-controlled approaches would no longer be available for aircraft landing in conditions of less than 150 feet vertical visibility and 800 yards horizontal visibility, except in emergencies.